In an effort to point out the consquences of Shell's destructive policies in Nigeria, Amnesty International planned to run a hard-hitting ad earlier this week, contrasting Shell Nigeria's $9.8 billion profits with the consequences of pollution caused by the company in the Niger Delta.

The ad shows a champagne glass overflowing with oil, and reads: "While Shell toasts $9.8bn profits, the people of the Niger Delta are having to drink polluted water. They're also having to grow crops in polluted soil. To catch fish in polluted rivers. And to raise children in polluted homes. So if you've got shares in Shell, ask the board to explain themselves when they raise their glasses at today's agm. Cheers."

But the ad never ran in The Financial Times. At the last minute (4:58pm the day before, to be precise), the publication pulled it, claiming that "Editorially, the FT was more than willing to run the advertisement for Amnesty. Unfortunately, whilst Amnesty gave us written assurances that they would take full responsibility for the comments and opinions stated in the advertisement, it became apparent that Amnesty's lawyers had not had a proper opportunity to advise Amnesty on those opinions. As a result, from a legal perspective we were unable to rely on Amnesty's assurances."

Luckily for Amnesty International, The Metro and The Evening Standard had no problem running the ad.

Tell The Financial Times that their decision to pull the ad at the last moment was an irresponsible business decision, and one that could have left Amnesty in a lurch. Demand that they apologize to Amnesty International and the 2,000 donors who contributed to run this ad.

Photo Credit: Sosialistisk